Category: Inspiration

With January comes resolutions upon resolutions – goals of getting that promotion, losing weight, paying off student loans, spending less money… the list continues. While New Year’s resolutions can be overrated, I think there’s something refreshing about a fresh start, so I’m all about it. I’ve got a number of resolutions/goals/intentions – whatever we want to call them – and one of my goals was to actually complete Dry January this year. A month with no alcohol. No vodka, no champagne – nada.

But why? It’s not like I’m going out every weekend chugging vodka drinks, right? (You guys know I’m kind of a grandma…) Honestly, I just felt like I needed a reset. And I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could do it. I’m about two weeks in and honestly, I’m feeling great. There are few feelings better than waking up naturally on a Saturday morning before 9am with no hangover! Granted, I’m definitely not giving up alcohol for good, but let’s see how long I can take this thing, shall we?

If you’re in the same boat as me this month, here’s a few tips I’ve implemented to help me through it.

Replace your rosé with kombucha.

If I can’t have my wine, I’m drinkin’ booch. It’s light, bubbly and tastes great without the next day regret. But here’s the REAL tip – drink it in a wine glass. I like to take it a step further and make a mocktail with kombucha, sparkling water, lemon and mint. SO good and festive.

Keep your weekends busy with non-drinking activities.

Y’all know the drill. Friday rolls around and all we can think about is “When is 5:00?” I think it’s safe to say most people’s weekends revolve around drinking in some capacity. So scheduling non-drinking activities on your weekend is the perfect way to combat that. Plan a lunch date or hike with a friend, a facial, a shopping trip, a Netflix date with yourself… there’s actually a lot you can do that doesn’t involve cocktails! The trick is scheduling them into your calendar.

Have a go-to when you start to feel stressed.

When we’re feeling stressed or anxious, often our first response is to reach for the bottle of wine. Having an alternative available is key. Maybe it’s having dark chocolate on hand, buying yourself some yummy-smelling bath salts and taking a bath or having a best friend to FaceTime with – whatever works for you to help you de-stress.

Micro-manage your bartender.

As my favorite blogger Lauryn of The Skinny Confidential always says, micro-manage your bartender! If you do find yourself in social situations (and you’re not being a complete hermit like me LOL) then this is key. Have him/her make you a fun mocktail – try a combo of club soda or sparkling water, lime, mint and cucumber! You’ll get to sip on a fun drink that looks like a cocktail while hydrating and it’ll help you avoid the inevitable “OMG you’re not drinking?!” questions.

Journal every night.

I think one of the main reasons a lot of us choose to participate in Dry January, or any time without alcohol, is to reset our bodies and see how we FEEL. So track it by journaling – this has been really powerful for me. Being able to look back at the days and weeks gone by and reading over how good I felt has been super helpful.

So, I’m hoping these tips are helpful to you if you’re doing this, too! Are you participating in Dry January? Let me know!

I’ve been in a rut. Like a full-on, uninspired, unmotivated rut. I don’t know if it was coming back from Thanksgiving that made me feel worn out or if it’s the weird December weather that has left me feeling completely burnt out, but the struggle has been REAL.

But don’t worry – I’ll save you the pain of moaning and groaning about it and tell you how I got OUT of this rut. It may have taken me a week, but I’m back to feeling like myself again – and that’s a good feeling.

[Step 1] Let yourself be in a rut.

Wait, what? Yes. Sometimes we just need to let ourselves chill and feel our feelings and stay in our rut. Our first instinct is to ask ourselves what the heck is wrong with us and try to move on with our days as if nothing is going on, and the majority of the time, that just leaves you feeling even more burnt out than before. So – take a step back and give yourself permission to relax.

[Step 2] Allow yourself to cancel plans.

So obviously if you have a huge interview or work meeting, you likely can’t cancel those. But plans with friends, meeting someone new for coffee, hanging out with your sister all day – those plans can be postponed. We often feel such crazy pressure to fulfill all of our commitments, to be everything to everyone and a lot of times, that leaves zero time for number one – you.

[Step 3] Give yourself what you need.

Sometimes you just need a cocktail. Or a new outfit. Or a pizza night with your best friend. I needed a grilled cheese sandwich, a glass of red wine and a bubble bath, k? Especially during the week, a lot of us feel like we can’t tune in to what we need because we’re too busy trying to meet our next deadline, make someone else happy or run a million errands. Stop and ask yourself what you NEED, and give yourself permission to give it to yo’ damn self.

[Step 4] Have a day completely to yourself.

Last Sunday, I made zero plans. Nada. Zilch. I knew that I desperately needed a day to myself. I woke up at 10:30 (praise Jesus), had an almond milk latte from Starbucks, made myself some almond butter & banana toast, and spent the day listening to podcasts, cleaning my apartment and watching Christmas movies. And it was EXACTLY what I needed. No plans, no commitments, no appointments… it was pretty much bliss.

[Step 5] Do something that always makes you feel productive.

Maybe it’s spending five minutes organizing a drawer or five hours cleaning your entire house. Whatever it is for you, pick something that you know you’ll feel accomplished after doing, and do it. Since I work from home, I never meal prep any more, but I had some food in my fridge I needed to use up, and knew I wanted to have healthy options for meals this week, so I spent a couple of hours meal prepping and felt so much better afterwards.

[ Step 6] Get back into your routine.

Monday morning I woke up, made my coffee with collagen and almond milk, whipped up my usual smoothie and got to work early. I took a barre class at lunch, worked in the afternoon and then spent the evening making myself dinner and curling up on the couch with trashy TV – just how I like it. After (let’s be honest) a week of my routine being ALL over the place, my body and soul desperately craved it. Sometimes the best thing you can do when you’re just not feelin’ it is to try to get back into your routine.

And wouldn’t you know… I’m out of my rut! I feel energized, motivated, inspired and 10x better – really. So next time you’re just not feeling like yourself, I encourage you to follow these steps and know that EVERYONE has bad days… bad weeks… bad months. We’re human. :)

Another year, and another birthday come and gone – and another year older, ahhh! *Cue the botox* JK… but really.

I had a great birthday this year and got to celebrate with the people I love most. It’s funny how, as we get older, it’s less about the party and the amount of people around you, and more about doing the things you love with the people who love you the most.

For me, that involves a lot of prosecco, a little bit of exercise, too much good food, some creativity (y’all HAVE to try the candle making workshop at Candlefish) and some cake, obviously.

Now that the celebrations have come and gone, here are 26 things I’ve learned in 26 years. I have a feeling this year is going to be the best one yet.

1. Life’s too short; eat the damn pizza.

2. With friendships, here’s my philosophy: quality over quantity.

3. Burpees still suck. Find a workout you like.

4. My parents are actually my favorite humans.

5. When it comes to eating, listen to your body. No one cares if you’re vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, paleo… whatever. Do what works for you.

6. Be kind to people. No one likes a Judgey McJudgerson.

7. A sibling is like a built in best friend – even if you’re polar opposites.

8. There’s nothing like a juicy burger, fries and glass of rosè to cure a bad day.

9. Experiences > material things.

10. Being single may be fun, but having a partner in life and a best friend by your side always makes life a little sweeter.

11. Living by yourself is a luxury everyone should experience once.

12. Alcohol is not as fun as it once was. *Exhibit A: the 2-day hangovers that now occur after 3 glasses of wine.*

13. Taking care of your skin is important. Bring on the night cream!

14. We’re all doing the best we can. Go easy on yourself.

15. Meditation is hard. But also an amazing habit to pick up.

16. Eat real food.

17. Money doesn’t equal happiness, but managing it properly can help.

18. Sleep = life.

19. Your intuition is your best friend.

20. Grocery shopping is one of my favorite experiences, and one I’m willing to pay more for. Trader Joe’s > Walmart